


"Have You Ever Seen Him Naked?"

by kreekey



Category: Music RPF, Real Person Fiction, The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Angry John, Awkward Conversations, Dialogue Heavy, Ficlet, Frustration, Interviews, M/M, Old Friends, Relationship(s), Short One Shot, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kreekey/pseuds/kreekey
Summary: The breakup of the Beatles created some of their most honest, snappy interviews. John is faced with an unanswerable question. He asks one back.
Relationships: John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	"Have You Ever Seen Him Naked?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!

**“How does Paul feel about the breakup?“**

Oh bloody Hell, another Paul question. I haven't a clue how Paul feels right now. I don't care. [ _John says it like they've just interrupted him in the middle of a song._ ]

**“There’s speculation that Paul’s actually quite happy to be working solo.”** [ _The interviewer says it clearly, but they feel they should be mumbling_.]

Have you ever seen him naked? 

[ _John snarls that. The interviewer laughs, hoping it comes out as light. They are glad they're on the radio. No one but John caught their nervousness_.] **“No, I haven't.”**

Have you not? Have you ever noticed his paleness? [ _He flies through his words before inflecting on “paleness”._ ] Have you seen his bare skin? Not underneath a suit or a moustache or his charming Beatle smile. [ _He makes “Beatle” sound like a dirty word._ ] Bare, I mean. Not a telly or a magazine picture or a crowd between you. [ _He spits that out his throat. You could taste the bit of Scouse in his voice._ ] God, nothing. When he hasn't even fussed his hair ‘n he's right in front of you. Blank, almost. A clean slate. Catholic skin and Liverpool eyes and Hamburg blood. When he doesn't try to charm you like a bird and you feel like you might _know_ him.

[ _The interviewer is left mute._ ]

Well, you don’t feel like you bloody know him, okay? You haven't seen any of these things and I've seen them for ten fucking years and I haven't got a _clue_ as to how Paul feels. You'll have to ask _him_ that. Tell me, did you know Paul gets freckles?

**“I can't say I do, no.”**

In the summer, when his skin gets tan, he gets freckles ‘cross his face. Little sunspots. Known him for ten years, didn't know that. Not till he got that farm. Figures. [ _He scoffs, sounding more amused than tired._ ] That business did him some good, I think. Liverpool was a dreary place. And the Beatles, you know, mighty as we were, never got to sit in the sun long enough to see. Stayed indoor tuning our guitars, or something like that. 

[ _There is a moment of dead air time. The interviewer composes themself._ ] **"What’s it like, knowing him?"**

[ _John softens. When he answers, his voice has lost that quick-thinking rhythm._ ] He doesn't smile as much as he did on the telly, constantly smiling at the girls. I guess we all did, but you know. He gives you smaller smiles when you say something really funny. Something, you know, that only we’d say. He just curls his lips. His cheeks go round like a baby's. He's almost thirty ‘n he's young. Like a kid. 

You couldn't tell it, but we all are. Young, I mean. Me 'n George 'n Ringo 'n Paul. We were young, all of us. But together, we’re old men. _That's_ why we broke up. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just had fun with this one and experimented with formatting. I just read the Lennon Remembers interview, so that probably inspired me. I wish I could’ve turned it into a drabble, but I’m not that concise. Critique/feedback is welcome. 
> 
> Also, the freckle thing… that was inspired by this: https://imgur.com/a/USWOrvE. There are a few light spots dotting some parts of him, I feel. I hope that counts as freckles? Let’s call it artistic liberty. Here's another pic of his secret freckles: https://imgur.com/a/blTglLg.


End file.
